Kabir Sayed: The man behind countrywide serial blasts?

Last updated on: August 31, 2009 15:34 IST

Kabeer Sayed, who was picked up in dramatic fashion at the Tiruvananthapuram international airport on Sunday, could be a vital link in the investigation to crack the code of the dreaded Indian Mujahideen which was responsible for a spate of blasts across the country last year.

Sources in the Intelligence Bureau told rediff.com that a look out notice had been issued against Kabir for his alleged role in hatching plans for the Indian Mujahideen.

He was trying to leave the country and was headed towards Kuwait when security agencies called back the flight and apprehended him.

IB sources say that Kabir, who is originally a resident of Koyippathudiveedu of Meppadi in Wayanad district of Kerala, was high up in the ranks of the Indian Mujahideen. This means that he is not an ordinary foot soldier, but was in the know of things which led up to the deadly serial blasts in Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and New Delhi, or Operation BAD, as implicated by Indian Mujahideen, last year.

Prima facie it appears that Kabir had the biggest role to play in the Bengaluru serial blasts of last year in which one person had died. An officer in the Bengaluru police force said that they are verifying the man's antecedents thoroughly.

His name had cropped up during the interrogation of several accused and it is quite clear that this man had a role to play in the blasts. The extent of the role played by him in the Bengaluru blasts alone is being investigated, the official also said.

While police officials of various places gear up to quiz Kabir on the role played him in the serial blasts, the most important link emerging at the moment is the link this man had with Tadiyantavide Nasir, a high ranking member of the Indian Mujahideen.

The name of Nasir had cropped up over a dozen times during the interrogation of Abdul Sattar, the mastermind of the Bengaluru blasts. The IB says that Nasir's arrest will be crucial to crack the IM code as this man was directly responsible for the recruitment of youth into the dreaded outfit.

The IB also says that Nasir and Kabir, apart from recruiting youth and playing a vital role in planning the serial blasts along with Riyaz Bhatkal, were also active in sending youth to fight the Kashmir war.

IB sources add that while Tadiyantavide Nasir played the role of an inspirational speaker, Kabir went about doing the ground work and picking up youth. Off late, their prime focus was to supply men for the Lashkar-e-Tayiba for their Kashmir battle.

The IB says that this man was trying to slip out of the country after a look out notice was ordered against him three months back. The fact that this man was taking a flight to Kuwait is a clear indication that the Gulf brigade of the Lashkar, which sponsors the Indian Mujahideen, was behind the serial blasts which they coded as Operation BAD.